New video of Marley’s response to the latest response. Now this is getting crazy. Please keep it on wax fellas. –Philaflava
Posts Tagged ‘k-def’
MC Shan vs. Marley Marl Pt. 3
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012LL Cool J – Year of The Hip Hop (prod. K-Def)
Sunday, September 11th, 2011
The is just unfuckwitable. We’ll have the mp3 for you once it’s made available (link below). For now peep the high quality rip and check out the back story. –Philaflava
Back in 1994 K-Def was working on some beats out of the B Room in Marly Marl’s House Of Hits when LL Cool J walked in on his session and said “let’s make some tracks together.” Uncle L had always wanted to rhyme on a track using the famous ESG breakbeat ‘UFO’, so he had Def lay it down with some scratches and then went to town with the mic. Both thought they had a sure fire hit on their hands but unfortunately it was never used.
The DAT tape of the studio session was feared lost for several years before it eventually turned up stuck behind a radiator! Now, 17 years later, K-Def and Slice-of-Spice are set to release ‘Year Of The Hip Hop’ on vinyl.
EDIT: Download 1 Download 2
K-Def – The Most Underrated
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
If there ever was a non-T.R.O.Y. compilation we’d post on here its this one. Peace to all parties involved, T.R.O.Y. forum member claaa7, who needs to just join the blog already, Al Lindstrom for hookin’ me up with most of my Tommy Boy vinyl back in the day and of course everyone else who made this happen. Check it out and be sure to thank claaa7 on his site or in the thread. –Philaflava
Intro & Interview by Chris Moss
Photos by Dan Love
Compilation produced by J.E.S.A. Of 2DopeBoyz, Chris Moss, claaa7 Of The Lost Tapes & Redefinition Records“For a producer -or any artist for that matter- to articulate their vision and have it manifested sonically for the masses to hear is no simple task. Equally difficult is having that same artist verbally detail the creative processes that went into the creation of that work of art. Be it painting, writing, rapping, or beat making, describing the intricacies of creation is a difficult undertaking.
I had a chance to talk with K-Def the other day and he is one cat who can put his words down in a similarly poignant fashion as one of his signature drum patterns. To borrow the title to his latest release on Redefinition Records, he’s adapted quite well as “Time’s Change”. K walks us through a sampling of some of his discography and several releases you may or may not be familiar with. Quite candidly, this selection was chosen not only to illustrate his rightfully earned place in Hip Hop, but also to show the breadth of his catalog and talent. For a producer to have worked with Diddy and UGK and Ghostface and Ol’ Dirty Bastard is quite an accomplishment. K-Def gives readers –and listeners- a chance to hear a little insight from the producer himself and some never before shared knowledge into the origins of some of his records. Pay attention.”
01. “Introducing the Magnificent”
K-Def: “That was done in ’95 and I had just gotten the MPC 3000 hooked up with various sound modules.” This was really the first time I had started playing keys on my beats. “The drums came right from a clean-ass, Akai factory drum disk, no sampled drums!” I was looking to move my production game away from what I had previously been doing and started incorporating more technology into my equipment setup.
02. “Real Live Shit Remix” (Ft. Real Live/Ghostface/Lord Tariq/Killa Sin/Cappadonna)
K-Def: “It was a methodical hypnosis beat. I had programmed the drums and hooked the sample up with the strings and the hard timpani hits. Everyone wanted to rhyme on this beat and Wu and others were really down to get on this record. I also have this session on videotape, too. It was the original version that helped us get a deal with Big Beat/Atlantic.”
(more…)
Da Youngstas + K-Def = Better Than You Remember
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Da Youngstas were exposed to every inset photo gimmick devised by A&Rs up to that point.
Revisit the musical memories of your adolescence with wizened discernment and you run the risk of besmirching your halcyon days. The music you held dear as a youngster tends to remain cordoned off in a sanctified spot where adult discernment is unwelcome. This remains the case until a mediocre song whose positive attributes were magnified in your mind by the forgiving lens of nostalgia innocently reappears on your Itunes playlist.
It is sad when a song ages poorly. The path to obsolescence is cold and unfair – a breakbeat that was perfectly serviceable in 1989 might induce nauseated groans in 2009. Ditto for references to “catching wreck” or “kicking mad flava.” And this also applies to any number of currently laughable trends that were inflicted on the populace in the late ’80s and early ’90s, including of course, kiddie rap.
The kiddie rap that stood one its own as quality material in the golden era is difficult to tolerate in adulthood. Chi-Ali’s prepubescent musings on sex and violence, while hilarious in retrospect given his murder rap, just seem to mar the godly blessing of early Beatnuts production (instrumentals, stat!). Illegal were ruff, rugged, and raw … to the point that you just want to slap the little crumbsnatchers for their insolence. And this brings us to Da Youngstas.
O-Dub once wondered aloud how the hell Da Youngstas managed to release four albums in four years, three of them while signed to a major label, all the while procuring beats from the likes of Pete Rock, Marley Marl, and DJ Premier. Jesse Serwer got to the bottom of the mystery in an interview with founding member Qu’ran, who explained the group’s history and ties to elder Philly rap luminaries like Steady B and Cool C with great attention to detail.
Now, while I am impressed by Da Youngstas impeccable pedigree, their true crowning feat is one that was probably unintentional. Their third LP, 1994′s No Mercy, was recorded for the most part at Marley Marl’s famed House Of Hits, and when Marley himself was not behind the helm, his protege K-Def was in control. K-Def’s five contributions to No Mercy, much like his work on Real Live’s The Turnaround LP, are nothing short of brilliant. The beats are beautiful, sweeping, orchestral. They just sound big, even grandiose. Da Youngstas are not budding Rakims on the mic but they hold their own competently, even showing signs of a sincere social consciousness on “Reality.”
Taken alone, these five tracks comprise a stellar EP within a decent if forgettable LP. This is the tootsie roll center of a footnote career, one of those rare gems that can only be reanimated in the age of Ipod. “Ill Filly Funk” in particular soars high – you’ll reconsider whether or not the Beatminerz deserve to be credited as geniuses for Black Moon’s “Reality.” Revisit, re-listen, and enjoy.
– Thun
Galt MacDermot – Samples
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
Galt MacDermot is easily one of my favorite soul-jazz pianists/organists of all time. After discovering “Duffer” on a breaks compilation about a decade back, I decided to snatch up whatever I could find. Fortunately, a good portion of his late 60s/early 70s albums and soundtracks had been repressed: “Woman Is Sweeter”, “Shapes Of Rhythm”, “Cotton Comes To Harlem”, etc. Also, Galt released the amazing “Up From The Basement” compilations in early 2000, and both volumes were entirely composed of unreleased tracks, including an alternate version of “Duffer”!
Unfortunately, I had a difficult time tracking down his 1971 masterpiece “The Nucleus”. The Chicago-based record store “Dusty Groove Records” was purchasing ‘em from Galt’s dead stock at a rate of ten per order, and I was always late on the draw. What made it worse is that Dusty Groove wouldn’t let you reserve a copy in advance! I’d search ebay and see it going for upwards of $100 (most likely from sellers who purchased numerous copies from Dusty Groove). Eventually, I got fed up with the BS and decided to contact Galt himself. I was able to snatch up three copies of “The Nucleus” at $25 a piece, as well as two copies of his classic “Hair Cuts” LP from 1969 (instrumental renditions). I also purchased a gang of others, including “Ghetto Suite”, “Isabel’s A Jezebel”, “Two Gentlemen Of Verona”, “The Karl Marx Play”, etc. Suffice to say, I was a very happy man.
Galt’s late 60s/early 70s catalog remains largely untapped in terms of sampling potential. Here’s a good portion of what’s been utilized up to this point (although my cut-off period for all things hip hop related is right around 2001/2002, so you’ll have to excuse me for not being familiar with artists that have sampled Galt in recent years).
Galt MacDermot – Samples
1. Galt MacDermot – Golden Apples Part II
2. K-Def – Galt Is Loose (Instrumental)
3. Jay Dee – Mash (Instrumental)
4. Galt MacDermot – Cathedral
5. MF Doom – Pennyroyal (Instrumental)
6. Galt MacDermot – Bedroom
7. Beatnuts – Uncivilized (Instrumental)
8. Galt MacDermot – Stockyard
9. Quasimoto – Return Of The Loop Digga
10. Galt MacDermot – Harlem Medley Pt. I
11. Quasimoto – Discipline 99
12. Galt MacDermot – Coffee Cold
13. J-Live – The Truth
14. Gangstarr – Werdz From The Ghetto Child (Instrumental)
15. Galt MacDermot – Space
16. Busta Rhymes – Woo-Hah (Instrumental
17. Busta Rhymes – Woo-Hah (Worldwide Remix Instrumental)
18. MF Doom – Cinquefoil (Instrumental)
19. Galt MacDermot – Ripped Open By Metal Explosions
20. Artifacts – C’Mon Wit Da Git Down
21. Galt MacDermot – Duffer
22. Galt MacDermot – If Our Love Is Real
http://www.mediafire.com/?kzn1zmemvom
Preview:
Galt MacDermot – Golden Apples Part II
Galt MacDermot – Cathedral
Galt MacDermot – Bedroom
Galt MacDermot – Stockyard
Galt MacDermot – Harlem Medley Pt. I
Galt MacDermot – Coffee Cold
Galt MacDermot – Space
Galt MacDermot – Ripped Open By Metal Explosions
Galt MacDermot – Duffer (Bonus Track)
Galt MacDermot – If Our Love Is Real (Bonus Track)
As a bonus, here is the amazing “Hair Cuts” LP that I purchased from Galt himself back in 2001. I remastered it with click repair.
Galt MacDermot – Hair Cuts (1969)
1. Aquarius
2. Sodomy
3. Donna-Hashish
4. Easy To Be Hard
5. Where Do I Go
6. Don’t Put It Down
7. Hare Krishna
8. Good Morning Starshine
9. Let The Sunshine In
http://www.mediafire.com/?fmctmryysxm
Obviously, hit up google for out-of-print Galt records like “The Nucleus”, etc. Also, make sure to purchase everything that has been repressed over the past decade. If you’re a fan, then you owe it to the man. Hell, I’ve probably contributed at least $300 to his cause!
–Roy Johnson
